Closeness
by PetPetAngel
Summary: In the face of a blossoming relationship, Anzu refuses to let her jealousy dictate her character; in her heart of hearts, she knew that Atemu could not have been happy with her. Slight YYxY
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So many puzzleshippers (including myself in the past) have done horrible things to Anzu's character; making her out to be snobby, unsupportive, rude, and even violent. Lately, I've been rewatching old episodes and have been developing much more feeling and sympathy for her, and have realized that in the past I disliked Anzu mostly because she was simply (and unfortunately for her at the time) a female threat to another non-canon pairing I enjoyed. And so, here I am with a fic in which Anzu, Yami (here, Atemu) and Yuugi all have positive thoughts towards one another.

This chapter deals mostly on Anzu's POV-I felt it should come first, because that was the real reason I wrote this at all.

Anyone could see it. You'd have to be blind not to, she thought to herself as she day-dreamed in class.

Anzu Mazaki took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy-hearted sigh. She glanced out of the corner of her eye to where Yuugi and Atemu were sitting and felt her mood become bittersweet. The two, after Atemu's decision to stay with Yuugi, had quickly become inseparable; their yami/hikari bond becoming stronger than ever.

She sighed once more and stared at her poorly taken notes. As she lifted her gaze, her heartbeat quickened as she let her eyes rest on Atemu's form. Ever since Atemu had regained his memories, he had come a long way from the silent and brooding person she'd went on a date with so long ago; far different from the man who was emotionally destroyed by the loss of his _aibou_ to the Seal of Orichalcos; with Yuugi by his side, he smiled and laughed, joked and played.

He had never done any of those things with her.

Her heart ached. Over time, and especially during the fight against Doma, she had grown fond of Atemu. The way the Pharaoh was so dedicated to his hikari had touched her, and butterflies formed in her stomach whenever she thought of Atemu expressing such dedication towards her instead. It wasn't a selfish, 'she'd rather he pay attention to her' kind of feeling, but more of a wish that she knew was impossible. She had often entertained the thought of what it would be like to be cared for by Atemu the way he cared for Yuugi.

But it was not a tangible dream, she knew, because anyone could see it in the way that Atemu and Yuugi looked at each other, the way they kept eye contact whenever they spoke, the way they stood so very close to each other.

At first she had thought it was a yami and hikari thing–which was the same thing she thought whenever Atemu called Yuugi 'aibou'–but over time it had become clear what the term really meant. She saw how strong their relationship had become, and how could she be angry?

They had saved the world together on countless occasions, and although she knew that they had always appreciated the support of their friends, it was the pair themselves that fought in the Shadow Realm. In the darkest of hours, very rarely were any of them actually dueling on their side–all they had were each other.

She couldn't help but wonder what it had been like for Atemu, taking his beloved into a place where he knew he could have died. Maybe it was a selfish thing, or more likely, Yuugi would not allow him to go it alone.

And she would have been mad, but she was only touched instead. Yuugi was such a wonderful person, a great person, that took care of Atemu and nurtured him to the charismatic individual he was today.

She knew, in her heart of hearts, that she could never have done that.

She was too enamored with the mystery of the broken Atemu, too infatuated with the production of her imagination, that she couldn't have grown with Atemu the way Yuugi had. She knew that she wouldn't have been enough for Atemu, and that Atemu would not have been happy with her.

And so she admitted defeat, but it wasn't so bad. She was angry, but she was also touched, and pleased that Atemu had found peace, although it was in the arms of another. She knew that that was the right thing to do when you really loved somebody.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This time, we deal with Atemu's feelings on the matter. This chapter touches more on the possibility of Yuugi and he developing a relationship, but also reinforces the idea that Atemu knows Anzu's feelings and deeply appreciates her respecting their growing relationship. Again, the thought of Anzu ever being bitchy or violent in this kind of situation now baffles me. Yes, she would be hurt. But to go so far as to put her friendship with the pair in jeopardy is something I have difficulty imagining.

Also, I feel it deserves noting that Atemu is more aware of the situation than Yuugi, as will be seen in the next chapter.

In the first moments after Atemu had decided to stay with Yuugi, he had had a flash of doubt that had seized his heart so strongly that he almost turned back.

But when he stared into the weeping face of his aibou, he couldn't have left him. That duel was supposed to determine whether they were ready to leave one another or not, but it had been a farce. He still relied on Yuugi so much, although not in a direct way. He could have moved on to better things in the afterlife, but he had simply become so _accustomed _to Yuugi's presence that any life without him seemed lacking.

And with Yuugi in his life, and with his own corporeal body, he had flourished. The bond between he and his aibou had grown only stronger, and he never again doubted his decision. He knew that what he had done was the right thing, and he wasn't sorry at all.

Even on the worst of days, sitting through a boring geometry class or advanced physics, he just couldn't bring himself to be sorry. He would see his aibou's smiling face and feel totally at peace and know he had done the right thing.

He knew he wasn't faultless. He knew that his relationship with Yuugi danced on the lines of something more than friendship and that that fact hurt Anzu greatly. He was not a fool; he knew of her secretive, pining glances, her bittersweet sighs. He thought that maybe, he should have respected that misery a little more, but it was so hard to feel anything but _complete_ when Yuugi was around.

And really, he had nothing but respect for her. In situations when most girls––no, most _women_ would have given up or backed down, Anzu had always been undeniably _there_. She was a dynamic individual and wonderful, but he knew that after spending so many days with Yuugi at his side, any other person would seem like a inadequate replacement.

But what he liked the most about Anzu was her ability to cope and to accept. She didn't act bitter, even if she felt it. She never said a rude thing to either of them, or tried to steal his attentions from where they should rightfully be. In the beginning, yes, she had. But when she had realized the truth, she accepted it and kept her head held high, and had grown to be more than her anger made her.

And so, in his own way, he did love her. He hoped that she understood just how much, because he didn't know what he would have done without her. It was not that she wasn't great, but simply that she wasn't _enough._

He had so much love and respect for his aibou, and they had been through so much! He could not bear the thought of a life without him now. He knew that one day, his relationship with Yuugi would grow beyond subtle glances and questioning thoughts, beyond caring embraces between not-really-just friends. But for now, he was more than comfortable with the butterflies in his stomach and the hope in his heart.

And with a good friend at his side he knew that his future would be good.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **And this time, as promised, we see Yuugi's opinions on the matter. I tried to maintain Yuugi's innocence, particularly in the matters of the heart. I really do believe that shifting from a crush on Anzu to a crush on Atemu would be a complicated step for him, something his mind might initially put a block on. I don't think it would just be, "Wheee, we're soulmates! Let's make out!" Because if it took Yuugi 50-some episodes to ask Anzu on a date (for _Atemu_!), I'm pretty sure he'd be a little bit slower on this front than a lot of writers make him out to be.

Also, Yuugi being the emotional, self-sacrificing martyr that he is, I think would get more caught up in the feeling of the whole relationship, instead of understanding it. Thus, the statements towards the end of this.

His relationship with Yami-no, Atemu (he still hadn't quite adjusted to the name!) had grown tremendously within the last months. Maybe it was selfish of him, but he felt a flood of relief in his heart when he was certain that Atemu was going to stay.

In those last moments, when he had been forced to consider a world without the other him, he had felt such a tremendous pain. He thought, _how can I do this without you_? Because even when Atemu hadn't been there, he had. A presence in his mind, comforting, consoling, always knowing the right thing to say. And in those moments when they dueled and Atemu wasn't there, Yuugi felt an undeniable emptiness coming from within.

So when Atemu returned to him, corporeal and whole, and when a week or two passed and it _really_ sank in, Yuugi was just selfish enough to admit that he was relieved.

He knew that Atemu's happiness was the most important thing to him. But he knew that he wasn't so strong as to say that it would have been enough; enough that he wouldn't question the final call to attack, that he wouldn't question whether he had done the right thing. He would have always questioned that.

But when he sat in the game shop with Atemu at his side, and their shoulders brushed and there was pressure and human flesh there, he couldn't help but feel relieved. And now that Atemu was alive, there was an undeniable fire in his eyes, a power and a presence that he had never been able to control fully when he was simply a spirit.

But he had never been 'simply a spirit', really. He had been, in many senses, the other him. Even now when Atemu had his own body and the choice to go elsewhere, he stayed. When they hung out together, Yuugi felt a sense of rightness, rightness that told him that even today, Atemu was still his other half. He may not have been as shy or as hesitant as he was at the beginning of Duelist Kingdom, but he still counted on Atemu to back him up and give him the strength to stand in the face of adversity.

And sometimes, it was more than that. Atemu didn't only give him strength, but comfort. But comfort wasn't really a strong enough word for what it was. It wasn't love, really, just simply was how they were. The definition of it wasn't really so significant; Atemu offered him a place where he felt important and valued beyond measure.

And he thought sometimes that Anzu thought it was love, because he would see her watching him, the way he talked and laughed with Atemu. And he could practically see it in her eyes, the way she marveled because Atemu was never like that when she knew him. The creases in her face told him she was thinking, _he never did that before._ And Atemu had undeniably grown, but he had grown on his own.

Perhaps he had helped him grow, but he knew he wasn't directly responsible for any of Atemu's actions. Atemu simply seemed at ease around him, and he loved that. And if Anzu was jealous, she buried the feeling, because there was not an ounce of tension between them when the three of them interacted. And Yuugi was grateful that it wasn't awkward because Anzu was his best friend, and he couldn't bear for that relationship to fail in the face of something like this, when it had already endured trials far more terrible.

But most of all, he was glad she wasn't angry because even if it wasn't quite love, love was it's closest approximation. And in time, he had no idea what it could grow to be.

(**A/N:** I don't usually do a second A/N, but this was originally where I imagined this fic stopping. However, if enough people express interest in me writing out the development of Atemu and Yuugi's relationship (less vague, more details of how it happened, with actual events and an almost storyline instead of simple musings), as well as still focusing on Anzu's part in the whole thing, I would be willing. So tell me your thoughts!)


End file.
